


Pride & Spite

by Lobo_Loca



Series: the baddest nerd around [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Aro Spec!Ike, Asexual!Ike, Gen, Kinda, M/M, Mentioned aro/ace phobia, Pride, Protective!Soren, Some Humor, spite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 11:03:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14851529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lobo_Loca/pseuds/Lobo_Loca
Summary: Soren appoints himself the gay defender of aroace pride. Ike appreciates the support.





	Pride & Spite

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A_Wandering_Serena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Wandering_Serena/gifts).



> Written while high on spite after an anti-aroace post hit Serena's dash, pissed us both off, and got me thinking about Soren defending Ike's queerness as an arospec asexual.
> 
> First section is set the summer after their junior year of college, and the second is set the summer after their first year in grad school.

Ike came home after TAing a summer intro lab to find Soren raiding Ike’s dresser.

Not for the first time, not even the first that week, but Soren usually struck right after waking up or right before bed. Just after four in the afternoon was an aberration. Sometimes, aberrations were nothing and business carried on as usual.

But, occasionally? Aberrations became Things.

After several years of cohabitation, Ike had learned to be wary of Soren’s Things.

Soren glanced up from comparing a white t-shirt with two spades in the color of the aromantic and asexual flags on the front to a purple one that read “Nope, Sorry, Not Interested” in black, green, gray, and white.

“Which one do you think would be easier to get bloodstains out of?” Soren asked. “Hypothetically.”

Ike dropped his backpack next to his desk. “White one probably. Who are you planning to beat up in my aroace gear?”

“Anyone who decides to be rude,” Soren said, sticking the purple t-shirt back into the drawer. He switched drawers and started rifling through Ike’s shorts like Ike was going to take that kind of answer at face value.

“And you decided my stuff was a better option than your gay pride shirt because...?” Ike asked.

Soren unearthed Ike’s pair of black basketball shorts with a tiny ace flag on the bottom corner of the left leg. “Someone may have said that aro and ace persons do not belong at pride.”

“Ah,” Ike said. “Want some company?”

Soren shrugged, replying, “If you're volunteering as back up, I'm not about to turn you away.”

“Says my errant champion,” Ike said, ruffling Soren's hair.

Soren knocked away Ike's hand, cheeks pink as he said, “There's nothing wrong with educating idiots, and some of them need more educating than others.”

Ike snorted. “And your steel-toed boots are lecturers now?”

“Sometimes actions speak louder than words,” Soren said.

)

Pride had become something of a tradition over the past two years as Soren thrived on spite and Ike wasn't one to quietly let others invalidate him and his orientation. Ike realizing he was a little less than fully aro (and the resulting crisis) had only compounded the tradition, especially for Soren.

Which was probably the catalyst for the disaster of craft supplies that used to be Ike and Soren’s kitchen table.

“What are you doing?” Ike asked, leaning down to peer at the object in Soren’s hand.

It appeared to be a styrofoam ball hot-glued to a cardboard paper towel roll.

“DIY Mace Ace,” Soren said.

He sliced up a toilet paper roll, folded and glued the pieces into spikes, then glued the spikes to the styrofoam ball.

“Mace Ace,” Ike repeated.

“Yes. The duct tape outer layer will make it somewhat water resistant. In the colors of the ace flag of course. I'm planning on getting nerf bows and spray-painting them and the ammunition in aro colors.”

“We are not bringing fake weapons to Pride, Soren,” Ike said.

Soren paused in tearing off a strip of duct tape. “But what if I need to smack an asshole?”

“That's what your steel-toed boots are for,” Ike reminded him.

“I suppose. They're not very festive though.”

“The first Pride was a riot against police brutality,” Ike said, resting his chin on Soren’s shoulder. “Pretty sure steel-toed boots count as festive.”

“I suppose,” Soren said. “I’m still making the mace though.”

He carefully wrapped the strip of black duct tape around one of the spikes, and held eye contact pointedly as he ripped off a second strip.

Ike shrugged. “You can take it to labs and use it on ignorant undergrads.”

**Author's Note:**

> All of Ike's aroace pride stuff was bought by his family as a way to show support after he came out. The [Nope, Sorry, Not Interested shirt](https://www.lookhuman.com/design/335007-nope-sorry-not-interested/6010-heathered_gray_nl-md) is real, but in ace colors.
> 
> [Inspiration for Mace Ace and Aro Bows](https://foxflightstudios.tumblr.com/post/174473549626/happy-pride-month-my-friends-here-are-the)


End file.
